Abstract
We have examined the distribution of the semi-major axes of the binary systems in the Sixth Catalogue of the Orbital Elements of Spectroscopic Binary Systems (and its extensions) and the correlation of semi-major axis with other properties of the systems. The total distribution has a single peak near asini=107km. Evolved systems have wider separations and smaller mass ratios than unevolved systems. Among each type separately, the distribution of mass ratios is bimodal and small mass ratio is correlated with large separation. These data appear to show evidence of two mechanisms of binary system formation and of the process of mass transfer in close binaries.
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